Redemption
by Pii
Summary: The rain was falling on the Valley of the End. A certain raven haired boy looked up to the sky, grieving alongside the rain. His eyes are in the color of red, the pattern on it screamed that he has awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan... AU where Sasuke killed Naruto in their fight at the Valley of the End. The tale of Uchiha Sasuke as pain and regret made him into his own redemption.
1. Prologue

**.**

 **.**

 **-Prologue-**

"Rasengan!"

"Chidori!"

The two attacks hit and caused a big explosion. They aimed at each other, with Sasuke aiming on Naruto's chest and Naruto aiming on Sasuke's head. The attack created a scratch on his head protector, making the sign of Konoha having a line in the middle of it.

As the explosion subsided, the blond boy has fallen on the ground. The raven looked at his fainted 'friend' in silence. _Now that he totally has the chance_ , he thought. "Naruto…" He paused, "I…"

He knew he couldn't hear him. And then the rain comes as if the sky was crying. Sasuke looked up, _why would the sky cry for them?_ After all, this battle was none of that important. Why is everyone so tempted to bring him back?

A pain stung to Sasuke, and he began coughing blood. Exhausted, the raven fell to his knees, and take a closer look to the sleeping blond in front of him. The rain didn't stop. The two stayed like that for a few moments. _This is it… this is my chance_.

Collecting his remained strength, Sasuke charged chidori on his hand. His eyes focused on that sleeping Naruto on the ground. He raised his hand, preparing the one last blow that he knew for sure will end the life of his sleeping friend. He gritted his teeth at the thought of it.

He didn't want to do this, he really don't want to.

But he has to.

As the image of his own brother in his head appeared, Sasuke became more determined and sure for this. _This is for the Mangekyou Sharingan._ With this, he will finally has the power to kill his older brother.

A trail of water fell from his cheek. _Was it the rain?_ What Sasuke knew next, he was already aiming his charged hand towards Naruto's chest.

' _Goodbye, Naruto.'_

It was small, but the sound of lightning was never been clearer in that rain.

* * *

The rain was wild, even in the forest. Not even the trees can keep you from being dry.

"Rain…!" This is bad, Kakashi thought. "Have you lost their scent?"

"It's alright!" Pakkun replied, "I still have it… they're here!"

The rain could wash away the scent, Kakashi thought. They had to be fast. He only hoped he was not very late He only hoped he was not very late.

 _You wouldn't do it, would you… Sasuke?_

Jumping from trees to trees, Kakashi couldn't get more worried than this. He had lost his comrades a long time ago. He won't lose another one this time- Or two, or so he thought. _No, he wouldn't_. He denied his previous thought. The rain is making it harder to move, but he do his best to catch up.

'I have to hurry up.'

* * *

Blood.

There was blood on his hand. The raven-haired boy was kneeling next to a blond boy right in the middle of the rain. The rain washed some of the blood away, but there were still those. The blond was now still and unmoving. Twitching, and breathing hardly, the raven still couldn't believe what he has done.

Sasuke breathes heavily. In and out, in and out. Stared into nothingness, his eyes were in their next form… They were red, with a certain pattern on it. _The Mangekyou Sharingan_.

The feeling of pain struck Sasuke's chest as if it was pierced by a sword. Still breathing hardly, the young boy closed both of his eyes. He began to mourn over the death of his very best friend. Now that he is gone, he has accomplished what he killed him for. And then.

Sasuke screamed.

Blood was dripping off his hands. Hate, pain, sad, loss,… and grief. He gritted his teeth again as more tears(or was it rain water?) falling from his face…

* * *

The rain still hasn't stopped when a certain copy ninja arrived on the spot. Sasuke was nowhere to be spotted. He stared at the lying still blond boy with a hole on his chest. A lot of blood came through that hole. There was a few other mark of blood around, presumably those that glued to Sasuke when he was grieving over Naruto. They were starting to get washed off by the rain, though…

Staring at the view right in front of him, Kakashi tried to remain in his poker face. He has lost many comrades before this. He experienced the loss of comrades long before this one. This was not his first one.

The image of Obito and Rin came to his mind. _Did he just failed again this time?_ He fixed his sight on his blond student's face before the image of his sensei flashed into his mind. His poker face started to crumble, yet he still refused to cry.

"Am I too late…?"

 _Loss is always painful._

 _ **-End of Prologue-**_

 _Hello, everyone! Welcome to my new fic! For those who were confused for why I suddenly appeared in this fandom: don't worry, I am not leaving DP yet completely! I still have DPA to finish. And yes! Pii is doing a Naruto fanfiction! XD_

 _For those who just see me: Hello and nice to meet you! I got this idea randomly when I was waiting for class with my friends. It started from a simple what if Naruto dead in the fight with Sasuke at the Valley of the End and this happened._

 _I am not sure if I can update this fiction daily or even finish it, but I will try to! I mean, this fic idea stuck in my head right now and I already planned it up till the end. Man, this gonna kill me, isn't it XD As you can see, the title is redemption, the story is going to be revolved around Sasuke and his redemption over Naruto's death. It will come in parallel with the canon events. I am hoping I can finish this hellish long idea, wew :/_

 _Oh well, I hope you will enjoy this! Once again I am sorry that I won't update that daily, but I sure hope I can finish this. I will try my best to stick to the canon, Naruto fandom was not really my thing at first, I actually just marathon'ed the whole series right after it ended XD wow, I am pretty late in this aren't I? Heh. But now I am here so… I hope we can get along nicely XD_

 _Thank you very much for reading the first chapter for this. If you have anything to say to this story, you can leave it on the review button below there ;D_

 _This story is co-written by my two best friends, K(doesn't have FFn account) and Rie(Miss Lavender Celesta on this website). Thank you very much for all the help!_

 _Oh, one more… actually I was so tempted to call this story_ _ **Sasuke Shippuden**_ _before I finally came up with just Redemption. As you guessed, this story is going to be focus around Sasuke. I guess it made it its alternate title, eh? Heh. I am going to still call this AU Sasuke Shippuden pfft XD_

 _I am sorry for the ultra-long author note. I hope I didn't make you fell asleep there!_

 _Oh well, thank you and see you in the first chapter of Sasuke Shippuden- I mean, Redemption!_


	2. Loss

Cries.

That was the first thing that could be heard from inside the hospital.

"Why?" Tsunade clenched her fist and banged it next to a body covered in white sheet. "Why?" She asked again, this time is louder. "WHY?"

"T-Tsunade-sama!" Shizune tried to calm her, only to find herself backing down and fell quiet.

On Tsunade's hand, there was the necklace of the first hokage. _This cursed necklace…_ She thought to herself.

"Tsunade-sama-"

 _Once again…_ Tsunade's teeth gritted. The image of her younger brother and boyfriend came into her mind. "I really wanted to believe it this time, but why…"

Tears fallen down from her face just like waterfall. "…Why once again the curse landed…"

Tsunade stopped talking and began crying in silence. Kakashi was just staring at the body while laying his back on a wall, he only see the whole scene in silence. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes. _Obito, Rin… Minato-sensei…_

 _I am sorry._

He knew sorry wouldn't do anything.

He is a failure. _I failed again_. He thought to himself. He thought he will make a team who will care for each other this time. No one else would do the same mistake as his, in this team. That was what he thought at first.

He was wrong.

Never did he think Sasuke would kill his own friend and comrade.

I am sorry.

 _I am sorry._

The word repeated over and over in his head.

Shikamaru was already out of the room. He couldn't take it inside. At first he thought he would stop crying by getting out of the room, but it didn't help at all. He continued crying. Two major injuries, One minor injury, and one death. Not only that, the mission was also a failure.

He was perfectly okay compared to the rest of his team.

Words couldn't describe what he was feeling that time.

' _Sacrifice is an inevitable part of missions._ ' He remembered Temari's words when he was waiting for Choji and the rest of his teammates. _Yeah, sure…_ He never expected someone to be actually dead in a mission he led. Moreover, it was the death of his own friend.

Shikamaru was never been that close with Naruto. He does not hate or like him. But he is his friend nonetheless. Shikamaru tried to stop crying, he felt cried enough for that day. But, he just couldn't… you know?

He wondered how he will explain this to the rest of the team.

It hurts so much.

"It would be too bothersome." He sobbed quietly.

* * *

Sakura was waiting.

Watching at the water's reflection does nothing special, but she did that anyway; standing on the bridge while watching her own face on the water. _Stop frowning, you idiot._ She told herself in her mind. _They will come back, right?_ Both Sasuke and Naruto. She told herself.

The image of her friends fighting on the top of hospital was still in her head. She held herself back from crying. She already cried enough. Naruto will bring Sasuke back, she tried to believe that. Sakura didn't cry, but she didn't feel like smiling either. She never thought it would come to this…

Both Sasuke and Naruto are her friends. She liked both of them. Sure, she 'liked' Sasuke more than Naruto, but that is another topic, right? Still, it is hurt to see both of your friends fight. Ahem, the love of your life and your close friend fight- either way, they're both precious for her.

She wondered if time would ever turn back to the time they were laughing together. _Please, oh just please… let us just be friends altogether again_.

Sakura remained in silence. She stared at her own reflection…

 _I couldn't do anything…_

"Sakura!" Ino called, snapping her out of her thoughts. She looked up, wondering what she is up to. "It looks like everyone's back!" Ino told her. "Come on now, let's go to the hospital!"

A little hope sparked in Sakura's eyes. _Sasuke and Naruto are back_ , she told herself. Ino knew very well how hurt Sakura is at that moment. Seeing the spark on Sakura's eyes, she smiled. Don't worry, e _verything is going to be alright._ Ino wanted to tell her that, but words were not what she needed that time. The two headed right to the hospital. _It will be alright_

… _Right?_

* * *

The two has parted at the hospital, with Ino telling Sakura that she was off to see Choji. Sakura was going to see Sasuke and Naruto. She had asked some shinobi who passed by where the returned team were. She was informed that Kakashi and some ninjas gathered in one particular room ever since Kakashi got back. Thinking they were possibly Naruto and Sasuke, she headed to the room they talked about.

Hearing how they said the ninjas were gathered there, she only can imagine the room was filled by laughter and smiles.

.

.

.

" _Heh, I just got you back, how's that feel?" Naruto pointed at Sasuke, laughing._

" _Hmph, don't feel proud of yourself, Usuratonkachi." Sasuke said his usual remark._

" _Come on you two," Tsunade said. "Don't go and worry all of us like that again!" She gave a small nudge at both of their heads and they laughed together._

" _Don't worry, it's always been like that," Kakashi said as he looked up from his book._

" _How troublesome," Shikamaru commented. "Never make us worry like that again, Sasuke-kun."_

" _Yeah. We always can get some food together." Choji said._

" _You are all about food, Choji!" Ino stated._

" _Come on, it's good that you are friends for life. Just like me and Akamaru!" Kiba said, with Akamaru barking in response._

" _I…I'm glad you're back with safety, Naruto-kun…" Hinata said, blushing._

" _Haha, thanks Hinata!" Naruto laughed. "I did kick some sense to Sasuke's ass, anyway!"_

" _Tch, I can fight and beat you anytime. Let's have a proper match next time." Sasuke said, crossing his arms as he pouted._

" _Hehe, knock it off, you two." Tenten said, smiling. They are all laughing again._

" _Oh well, fighting is the sign of the springtime of youth!" Lee said excitedly._

" _I am glad you worried about us, Hinata-sama." Neji commented._

" _Hey, you guys still hadn't forgotten me, right?" Shino commented._

 _All of them… laughing._

.

.

.

It was just a thought, Sakura thought. It could be true. They are just at the back of the door. She came to the door closer, wanting to open it.

"Naruto,…" she called. "Sasuke-kun…"

Only then, when she was about to open it, she overheard some things from the inside. It was no laughter… oh well, it was a wish after all. But it was not a serious talk or something like that either… What she heard was crying noises.

Her eyes widened in shock. Her mind only asked one word: 'Why?'.

What happened?

"Tsunade-sama,…" Shizune's words could be heard. Her voice was rather weak, Sakura could tell she was crying as well. "It's enough. We have to work." The words that came after that really blown Sakura's mind. "… **Naruto is gone** , stop crying over that boy..." Shizune's voice cracked once again. "…okay?"

Sakura's legs felt limp, she fell down in front of the door. She just told herself to not cry. Her eyes stared at nothingness. _This is a joke. This is a joke. Right, Naruto? You are joking. Just like always…_

 _RIGHT?!_

Her eyes got watery, she still don't want to believe that fact.

"What's done is done." Kakashi's voice then heard from inside the room. "Sasuke killed Naruto and left," He said. "The chidori went through his heart and killed him in an instant. There is a hole on his chest…" Then Kakashi's voice fell quiet.

Sakura couldn't believe what she just heard. Naruto is dead… Sasuke killed him… Sasuke left… Naruto is gone… Naruto… Naruto!

Ino walked through the hallway, just returned from visiting Choji. She wanted to go visit Naruto next, and surprised to see Sakura in the hallway. "Sakura?" She asked. "Why are you here?" She noticed the expression on Sakura's face. "What's wrong?"

"U…Uu…Uuh…." Sakura trembled, trying not to cry.

"What- What happened?" Ino started to worry. _How bad is Naruto and Sasuke's injuries?_ She was tempted to open the door to see, but there was Sakura in the way. She got closer to her and the door, and then catching some talk the elders were talking about.

"Death is a thing that is us, shinobi, used to." Kakashi's voice could be heard. "…Sure,… I never expected Sasuke to kill off Naruto as well, either…"

Ino's eyes widened in shock this time.

 _Uzumaki Naruto… dead?_

Ino couldn't believe that. _Uchiha Sasuke killed him?_ _But why?_ Ino stayed still on her place. _Sasuke…_

"U…Uuuuh…. N-Naru…Uuuuh…." Sakura sobbed, finally letting her tears out. Ino reached her and hugged her, "Sakura…"

Both of them knew how that felt.

"Ino…!" Sakura hugged Ino and let out all her emotions. She cried loudly. Ino felt tears coming out from her eyes. The two girls cried in front of the death room of their friend. Who would've expected that to happen at that very moment?

From inside the room, Kakashi noticed Sakura and Ino who were crying outside. He stared at the door, remembered the time when the team he is holding was becoming genin, and then the time when they went to chunnin exam together.

 _You are my proud team_. He told them that. They cared for each other deeply… _there is no way you would go into the same state as me._

Kakashi's head bowed down. He turned his back on Naruto's body. He started to tremble.

After he had been holding that straight, unmoving face for so long… Hatake Kakashi finally let his tears slide out of his eyes.

 **.**

 **.**

 **Death is something that happens every day**

 **Why would it still so hurt each time?**

* * *

 _Whoaaa I didn't think this fic would get notification at such a short time, and it was just the prologue! Thank you so much!_

 _Call me crazy or what, but I am currently in crazy mood with this fic =w='' I really hope I can finish this… but I don't know._

 _Thanks a bunch for the supports! I hope you liked the first chapter! As I said, the story will later focus around Sasuke. I hoped I did the characters good… I am really sorry if any of them if OOC or the scenarios are off or something._

 _I am still tempted to call this Sasuke Shippuden tho' :v_

 _But after all, I hope you liked it! Review is highly appreciated ^^ See you next time!_


	3. Guilt

Sasuke trembled. His breathing was fast. Gasping, panting. He was sitting right on the bed in the room Orochimaru gave him. The boy was told to rest, but it seemed like he couldn't rest even for days. His eyes, and head were aching. Sasuke's hand was placed right in front of his eyes, grabbing his head and sometimes squeezing his hair. Mangekyou Sharingan was on his eyes. He stared at nothingness. Still panting a lot. He kept breathing in and out, in and out.

"Uh… agh…" Sasuke groaned. "Uagh…." He closed his eyes for a bit, only to then open them again. It was too much.

It hurts. His eyes hurts. His head hurts. **His heart hurts.**

 _Naruto…_

 _Ba-Bump!_ The image of Naruto appeared on his head. The event of that day, the day when he killed the best friend had.

 _Ba-Bump!_ Sasuke gritted his teeth, shutting his eyes and trying to forget the kept repeating images in his head.

 _He charged his hand with electricity and…_

 _Ba-Bump!_ He striked through his chest, creating a hole on it. Blood splattered all across his face. His hand was covered in blood.

 _Ba-bump!_

 _Naruto…_

 _ **Naruto…!**_

Sasuke screamed.

From outside the room, Kabuto sighed. "He kept doing that, I wonder why Orochimaru-sama wanted that kind of person," He muttered to himself. "All he does is screaming, and crying, and pouting…" He thought about it. "Come to think of it, he killed that kid…"

 _Uzumaki Naruto, right?_

"Hmph," Kabuto remembered the boy. "Why would you kill someone if you only ended up regretting it?" He stared at the door of Sasuke's room for a while. "It's for the eyes, isn't it?"

Kabuto decided to continue with his work, "Well… those eyes will be fallen to Orochimaru-sama." He walked off. "I guess we'll have to thank him for his hard work obtaining them, after all." With that, he walked away. It was useless to pay more attention for the boy right now. It's not like he could tell Sasuke to stop with his screams magically, anyway.

Sasuke panted, and panted… and panted. And screamed.

Sasuke held his head. The scene kept being recreated in his head. _I killed him, I killed him, I killed Uzumaki Naruto…!_

The image of Naruto with his stupid smile appeared on his head, his best friend…

( _Best friend? Really now?_ )

 _He killed him._

Sasuke screamed, this time he also threw some things off to the wall. He didn't care what it was. He wanted to rage. He hated everything. He hated himself. Breathing heavily. In, out, in, out, in, out…

 _Stupid Mangekyou Sharingan_

 _Stupid Naruto_

 _Stupid Itachi_

 _Why do I feel so much feelings after I killed him?_

 _Why do I have to kill him?_

 _Why did I… kill him?_

He threw some things again. Sasuke regretted his actions already.

It was not even a month.

* * *

Orochimaru smiled. Sasuke is in his possession, he will get the body he wants. "The eyes are a bonus." He smiled. "To think he actually awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan this fast…"

"Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto spoke out. "But… you just switched body. If only you waited for a moment longer…"

"Yeah," Orochimaru replied. "I have to wait for 3 years until I can use that body." He said. "But until then,…" Orochimaru grinned, even in that state. "We can make his body at its finest shape,"

"Orochimaru-sama…" Kabuto commented. Orochimaru started laughing. Everything was going way too well.

"I expected you to prepare him for me when the time comes, Kabuto."

Another loud scream could be heard from Sasuke's room. That boy wouldn't stop screaming, would he?

* * *

 _Sorry, I am sorry, forgive me, forgive me, fuck, no, not sorry, I am… I will kill…_

" _Forget about something like revenge"_

 _If only I listened, If only I listened… Somebody. Why? Why I didn't listen to anybody?_

 _Who is going to save me now?- I don't need saving. Why I killed you? Why I killed-? I am lonely again. Why? Why?_

 _Wrong. Not wrong. Wrong. I wasn't wrong. Am not wrong. I am wrong. Kill. Itachi. Kill. Naruto. Naruto. Itachi. Why?_

Sasuke punched his fist into the wall.

 _Why?_

 _I am sorry Naruto._

 _I am not sorry…_

 _I am sorry_

"Tch," Sasuke faced to the wall, hand still on fist shape.

 _Wake up. Wake up. It's all a dream_

 _(This is no dream)_

 _Wake me up!_

 _(You are awake)_

 _This is just a nightmare_

 _(You killed him)_

 _When I wake up, I will be there, together with Team 7. Smiling, happily… everyone is alive. Everyone is happy. I didn't kill anyone. I never killed him. I never killed Naruto. I didn't- I killed- Itachi- Kill Itachi. Kill… Revenge… Real. Not. Fake. Death. No! Naruto- Itachi- I- I-…_

"Ngggh!" Sasuke panted heavily. In, out, in, out. He needed to stop with this. He gained the Mangekyou Sharingan. He gained power. He has become stronger.

He is stronger now.

"Naruto…"

Wrong. I was wrong. I was wrong. Sasuke's eyes felt like burning. "Ngh…!" Sasuke placed his hands on his eyes, preventing the pain. It was still painful.

 _I was wrong._

 _I was wrong._

Red fluid leaked out from his eyes. It was painful. It fell off just like tears. Was it even mixed with tears? _No. I am not crying. I am not crying. I am not wrong. I am not…_

… _wrong._

 _I was wrong._

"Ngh… Ngh…!" Harder, he clutched even harder. "Uaaagh!" _Stop the pain, stop it. Stop it! Please, stop it!_

 _Hurt. Pain. Ache. Hurt… Pain…_

 _Naruto…_

And then he started sobbing.

 _Sorry._

He fought hard from doing so.

 _I am sorry._

 _(You are regretting this now?)_

 _I am very sorry._

 _(Really? After you've come this far?)_

 _I don't know…_

 _(Wow, you are really a something. You know that?)_

 _Shut up._

 _(You are a killer.)_

 _Shut. Up._

 _(You killed your best fri-)_

 _I know!_

 _(You finally accepted that)_

 _I am sorry,_

The blood kept pouring out from his Mangekyou, Sasuke stared into nothingness. What's done is done. He couldn't change the past. Regret always comes last. His mind wouldn't stop blaming him. He finally accepted the blames. He was tired of this argument. His face was now emotionless. He felt sorry. He felt regret. He felt grief. He felt guilty.

… _Naruto._

* * *

Somewhere, in a place covered in darkness, there are nine people gathered below some kind of giant statue. All of them wear the same black coat, with red clouds pattern on it. They seemed to be talking about something serious.

"So… nine-tails' jinchuuriki has been killed?" One of them asked, opening the discussion.

"Yes." One of them replied, "I've been checked. He was really dead."

"I see…" The one that seemed to be their leader replied. He went into silence for a bit and think.

"Aaw, man…" One of the members groaned. "I never expected him to get killed that easily. Who was his killer again?"

"Uchiha Sasuke." The other quickly responded. Upon hearing that name, a certain man with sharingan on his eyes in the group reacted quite fast.

"Hey,… Uchiha." One of them said, "He is your brother. Isn't he, Itachi?"

The man with sharingan, Itachi, only stayed quiet in the conversation.

"That boy is your brother! I heard that boy is his friend… Woah, that boy's so sick!"

A mask-wearing man stayed quiet upon hearing the comment one of his group member made.

"May Jashin be with him,…"

"Oi, you're not going to bring your religion-shit into this conversation, are you?"

"Silence. We are getting back to our main topic." Their 'leader' said, the rest stopped talking and listened carefully. "We never expected Kyuubi's host to be dead. Itachi, your group was in the charge of Kyuubi, right?"

"Yes." Itachi nodded.

"This is getting a bit troublesome." The 'leader' spoke again. "Kyuubi's chakra is now scattered around, this is beyond our original plan." He said. "It's going to be a while to collect the scattered chakras and resummon the Kyuubi."

One of them then sighed, "Collecting Sanbi is a pain already." He said. "It took so many years to collect them in one piece. It's almost complete, though."

"Gathering information of the rest jinchuurikis are not something easy to do either," another member added.

"I heard a certain kid is able to call the Sanbi at will." The 'leader' said. "He has eaten one of Orochimaru's pills. When the time comes, you two go use him to summon Sanbi." He ordered two of the men.

"Oh, O.K.!" The ordered man gave a thumb sign.

"Alright," His assigned teammate said. "I will have time to show off my work of art to that hard-to-collect-bastard. He better appreciate it, after giving us all the trouble collecting them."

"Keep gathering information about the rest of the bijuus. We have to change the plan about the Kyuubi. We don't have much time for collecting the scattered chakras." 'Leader' told them. "Three years from now, we have to gather all of the bijuus. That includes the Kyuubi." He then stared at the one who was responsible for Kyuubi, Itachi, and the one beside him. Itachi closed his eyes as he understood his job.

"Can you two handle the Kyuubi once again, Itachi, Kisame?"

"Yes," that's the answer Itachi gave.

"We'll try," 'Kisame' replied.

"We'll still need to find out how we can resummon Kyuubi." 'Leader' said. "Don't worry about this one for now, we'll get that in time. For the time being, just focus on your jobs."

"Yes." The whole members replied.

"Meeting disbanded." After he said that, the members of Akatsuki left the meeting spot. Itachi remained quiet. The topic of the meeting was still bugging his mind.

He was not worried about how he is going to collect Kyuubi's chakra at that short of time. It was another thing that bugged his mind.

The fact that he heard her own brother killed his best friend.

 _So that's it…_ Itachi thought. _His brother has now awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan_.

The image of Uchiha Sasuke with Mangekyou Sharingan appeared in his head. _So that's how it is now… you are going to kill me with that._

He has killed his entire family back there. It was natural that Sasuke wanted his revenge on him. He was the one who told Sasuke to kill his best friend if he wanted the power to kill him.

 _But to think you would actually end up killing Naruto…_

'It was my fault'. Itachi thought.

To find out Sasuke's closest friend was Naruto, it was such a coincidence. Perhaps Kami-sama wanted to play with how the road of the fate goes. Since Sasuke killed Naruto, Akatsuki will be delayed due to the chakra collecting of the Kyuubi.

Itachi still remembered the boy, the blond boy he was supposed to take with him in order to fulfill his mission. Back then, he noticed how close the boy was with his very own younger brother. Sasuke ended up getting more consumed by his grudge and ignored the rest of things that mattered. Fate is really of twisted in some ways. He wondered what kind of road Sasuke will walk on, now that he has killed his own best friend.

Itachi can see Naruto as a sun. He had the chance to remove the darkness from Sasuke's heart. If only he never told Sasuke to kill him off, if he had known it was somebody like Naruto- who had the chance to take Sasuke out from his dark destiny…

He had hoped Sasuke didn't listen to him that time. Oh, well… what's done is done. At least his original plan will work on this way.

 _Now that he is gone, I wonder who will light the moon?_

… _Sasuke._

 **.**

 **.**

 **What does not kill you make you stronger**

 **When you kill someone instead… does it make you stronger?**

 _Hello there! Thanks for still reading up until now! To be honest, I am kind of surprised that even I can make it this far! I thought I would give up right after the prolog but then I continued writing it XD (In the middle of busy weeks of uni? Really, Pii?)_

 _Anyway, I am pretty surprised that it was less than a week but I already managed to get this much of fav and follow. Thank you so much!_

 _As for those who asked me why_ _ **I put Naruto's name on the character list even though he is dead**_ _in this fic, it's because the events that going to occur in this fic are affected by his death. He is the one who make the character development going for Sasuke in this story. He is still a part of team 7, and their friendship is still strong even when he is gone. I am afraid if people will think this fic is about SasuSaku if I only listed the two of them there(sure, I will get some SasuSaku hints but it's not the fic's main plot!)_

 _Akatsuki got a quick change in plan due to the sudden death of a certain jinchuuriki. Itachi and Kisame is going after Kyuubi's scattered chakra. Sasuke is consumed by guilt. How will Sakura stop griefing now? Her friends were fighting, Sasuke has left, and Naruto is gone._

 _I hope you will stay tuned to the next chapters XD Even though this story is just kind of an alternate parallel to the one that happens in the main series._

 _The idea is actually way too simple, I am sorry for that. But I hope you enjoy the fic I made in the middle of uni stress that was made by a simple what-if ^^_

 _Until then, see you next time!_

 _(It's kind of surprising to see me able to write this much for a fanfic again now… wow)_


	4. Strength

Tsunade was sitting on her seat in the Hokage room. A crystal gem was hanging around her neck. His grandfather's- the First Hokage's necklace. She seemed quiet. She was not doing anything in particular, though. It seemed like her mind is still entangled in some kind of thoughts.

And then, a knock could be heard on the door, disrupting the silence.

"Come."Tsunade said. The door was opened, and an old man with long white hair entered. He was putting a serious look. Tsunade wondered what he was up to. She watched him walking inside in silence before the two would start conversing.

"Jiraiya," She began. "What is it that brings you here?" She asked the old friend of hers.

"It's about Naruto-kun's death." Jiraiya stated straight away. "You shouldn't take it too personally."

Tsunade fell silent once again. The image of her deceased younger brother and boyfriend came to her mind. Both of them wanted to be a Hokage, just like the whiskered blond. Tsunade closed her eyes and stated, "This necklace really is cursed." She then sighed. "I need to stop giving it away to people."

"…" Jiraiya stared at her in silence. He understood well how Tsunade felt. Jiraiya then called, "Tsunade," He told her. "You should've known. Loss is a daily thing in this ninja world. It's a thing we should've got used to." The two fell into silence again for a moment.

Tsunade signed. "I know." She stated. "It's just…"

"…Reminded you of them, huh?" Jiraiya asked.

"…"

None of them said anything for a while. This time, it was longer than the one before. Both Nawaki and Dan dead in the past. And even Tsunade given up in love because the death of her loved one. Jiraiya spoke out again, "There's no use to keep crying and sulking over some dead person,"

"You are the Hokage." He reminded her. "You have to focus on more important things."

"Hmp," Tsunade smiled a little, but one could notice it looked hurt. "I wouldn't be a Hokage if it wasn't for Naruto." She recalled the time when Jiraiya and the kid came to get her to be the Hokage. _Maybe she doesn't really fit for this role_. She commented to herself in her mind, but didn't state it. "What about you?" She asked Jiraiya. "Don't you have better things to do than cheering up an old woman about the death of some kid?"

"Well… to be honest I was about to make him my apprentice when he returned." Jiraiya then looked at Tsunade in the eyes, "And, actually… no. I didn't come here for just cheering you up."

Tsunade raised her face a bit, wondered Jiraiya actually came there for.

"I gained some information about Akatsuki," The sannin stated. The line took Tsunade's full attention.

Once she gained her composure, she asked him. "What is it?" She just turned into the serious Hokage persona.

"I got the information when I was investigating Orochimaru's 'Immortality Jutsu'." Jiraiya told her. "They won't be on the move for at least three or four years for now."

"And why that could be?"

"I don't know." Jiraiya stated. "Originally, they were going after Naruto. I was going to tell him that, but you know…" He paused, drove the mood aside. "That's why I wanted to make him his apprentice at first,"

"So he would be able to guard himself against the possible threat in the upcoming three years?" Tsunade guessed. Jiraiya nodded.

"As for the Immortality Justu…" Jiraya brought the other information up. "Orochimaru can't use his 'Immortality Jutsu' more than three years of each use. He can't transfer into a new body."

"So that means…" Tsunade gave a guess again, getting the idea in her head.

"…he can't use Sasuke's body as a container for his soul for at least three years." Jiraiya finished, confirming her guess. "Wihile waiting impatiently for Sasuke, he transferred already. This information might relieve that pink-haired girl on his team."

"…" Tsunade fell quiet again.

"…" Jiraiya didn't bother to comment anything this time.

Just like that, the two stayed in the room. That, until Jiraiya became their ice breaker yet again.

"His body," he began. "They didn't see his body, right?"

Knowing who he referred to, Tsunade shook her head. "No." She answered. "Only me, and the higher-ups." She stopped before adding, "Plus Shikamaru." The ponytailed boy was the only one managed to get the chunin rank between his same-aged comrades, anyway. It would be a huge hit on his chest to see Naruto's body, Tsunade thought. After all, that was the first death on mission he has seen right on his very eyes.

Jiraiya closed his eyes, understanding Tsunade's action. It was a huge shock for the genins already. It would be better if they didn't see that hole on Naruto's chest created by Sasuke's chidori. When they heard about it, they couldn't believe what happened. Some of them got mad on Sasuke for doing so, and some broke into tears right away. Especially the Hyuuga girl who seemed to be so attached to Naruto. Sakura was quieter these days, many wondered if she would be able to take it personally.

Come to think of it, the three of team seven has come to a similar fate just like theirs, with one of their member left the team pursuing some goal of theirs. The only difference is that the three of them are alive and well. We don't talk about the people they lost outside of the trio. Of course it still hurt like hell.

Bearing the Legendary Sannin title, sometimes one might wonder if it was just how it go; Being known as Legendary Sannin and having to witness all kind of loss and death in the payment for it? Sometimes they just wished they shouldn't be the ones to walk in this kind of path. But fate is very interesting. Coming from three kids who were nothing to start with,… one could change into anything.

When thinking that the line has been drawn, it just hurt to think about that. That there was no way to escape the faith, to change the destiny… They had believed they could, once.

To walk in this kind of path, losing friends and turning swords on each other(or kunais?). Making new friends and enemies, having apprentices, losing them. _Aah, what a way to live your life._

To think about it, Konoha would need a medic ninja in the upcoming missions. Maybe with that there would be less injury and death chances. But Tsunade recalled there was no one having the full requirements yet.

Jiraiya looked at Tsunade, noticing her face was no longer the same sulky face he saw when he was first entering the room. Sure, her face was still off- not as off as the one in the morning she woke up with, he would've bet. Kind of glad he could manage to cheer up the old friend of his a bit, he smiled. Maybe the thing she needed was a company, after all.

"I see your water is no longer the same bulky one like the other day," He then said. "I have to go now."

"Again?" Tsunade asked.

"I have to find more information occupied to Akatsuki. I have no time to waste." He said. "Three years would be over before we knew it."

"…" Tsunade didn't comment anything.

"As we've known," Jiraiya reminded, "They were after the thing inside of Naruto. Now that the container has gone, Kyuubi's chakra has scattered and that only means they would need a change in plans, whatever they're planning to use the Kyuubi for."

Tsunade absorbed the deduction, and nodded.

"They would go into another plan. Far as I know, there was another jinchuuriki who was killed years ago. And until now, the bijuu hasn't been resurrected." Jiraiya said. "Three years would be too fast for Kyuubi to be resurrected back. The Akatsuki would think of something." He said with his serious face. _And I am going to stop whatever bad things will be caused by that group_.

 _You are still looking for the truth of the prophecy you kept talking about, huh, Jiraiya?_ Tsunade smiled. "Sure, go."

Jiraiya nodded."I'm off." He said as he walked away. Once the man left and the door was closed, Tsunade stayed still in her thought.

 _Akatsuki, huh? They have plan connected with the bijuus…_ whatever it is, Tsunade was sure she would stop them if it was up to no good- in order to protect the village. And the whole fire country.

It was the job of the Hokage anyway.

 _Don't you three agree? Nawaki,… Dan,… Naruto._

Tsunade smiled, this time with strength filling in her. A few moments after, Tsunade heard a knock from her room's door.

"Come in."

In front of her, a certain pink haired girl entered her room with an assured look on her eyes. _Wasn't that the girl in Sasuke and Naruto's team?_ She recalled. Tsunade herself was a bit surprised to see her entering the room with this kind of face. Her eyes were full of determination, even though they were swelling up and red from crying. Oh well… she was no one to be blamed for. After all, she just lost a team member and the other one was the one who killed them, who already ran off to Kami-knows-where the fuck Orochimaru currently is.

After all things that happened to her team recently, who wouldn't have surprised to see her standing strong like that? Moreover: in the Hokage's very room. She was up to something serious. And whatever it is she wanted, she is going to get it; whatever she came there for.

"I have a request." Sakura stated, short and clear.

"What is it?" Tsunade asked, still focused on Sakura's serious gaze.

"Please… make me your apprentice!" Sakura stated out clearly. Her determination was very clear. With the image of her two teammates in her mind, Sakura chose to be a healer. The recent event sure had made her making up that kind of mind. With her knowledge and good marks back in the academy days, she was smart enough to know how hard the training to be a medic is.

Tsunade stayed silent, making sure she does not waver. Sakura doesn't waver at all. She stayed there. _An important thing…?_ Tsunade could feel relatable to the girl. _You are also troubled, aren't you?_ "Haruno Sakura,…" She called.

"I've heard from Kakashi that you're intelligent and that you have a strong spirit." Tsunade raised her head, and gave Sakura her answer. "Alright… from now on I won't go easy on you!"

Hearing her request's acceptance of the Hokage, it lit Sakura's heart up a bit. "O… Ok!" She replied.

 **.**

 **.**

 **Walking the path, from now on**

 **I won't let any blood the friends of mine to be shred**


	5. Redemption

How long has it been? A few months have been passed, but it still felt like yesterday. The raven haired boy has been training with the snake sannin ever since then. He started to get the hang of using Mangekyou and the seal. However he was still deeply fatigued whenever he used them. Sasuke breathed deeply, panting. His eye bled again, he instantly put his hand to the pained area. The seal he used seeped back and he returned to his normal form.

Orochimaru watched the Uchiha. The Mangekyou is great, indeed. But it has its side-effect whenever they're used. Orochimaru thought if he could work to remove that side-effect, so that Sasuke's body would be the perfect one for him when the time comes.

Sasuke still panted heavily. It was painful, painful… No, it was not the Mangekyou that inflicted most of the pain; each time Sasuke used the eye, he only kept getting reminded of Naruto's death. His own mind is killing him- blaming him- **it's your fault, it's your fault, it's your fault**. 'Shut up,…!' Sasuke replied back to that mind repeatedly. Sobbing a bit, and then panting again. He tried to forget that gruesome image, over and over.

 _That was the only weakness Sasuke had,_ Orochimaru thought. The boy is weak. His mind is weak. But it wouldn't matter as long as he creates the perfect body for him. "The training is over," Orochimaru said. Sasuke didn't seem to listen. He stayed on his place, panting heavily. "Oi, did you hear me?" Orochimaru asked.

Sasuke let out a scream and dashed to a rock, attacking and destroying it into pieces.

"I won't train you. I will be returning to hideout." Orochimaru informed again.

"Doesn't matter," Sasuke replied. "I will train by myself."

"You will only destroy yourself. You are not that used to those powers yet."

"Don't care." Sasuke replied again. "I will get used to it."

Orochimaru got a bit annoyed by his attitude, but let him be. "Fine, then." He turned and started walking away. "I will be returning to the hideout first, then."

Sasuke continued training by himself, even though he started to tire himself out. _Not enough_. He needed to get stronger. He already got the power, he need to get stronger. He needed to master it. _More, more…!_ He destroyed yet another rock. Sasuke stopped for a while, catching another breath. He looked up. It would be a vain if he is not able to master it after what he did to gain it in first place. He will definitely master these powers.

He knew he will.

* * *

Umino Iruka has lost his family once. Ninjas die any day, any time. It was a normal thing. There was totally nothing new. Another month has passed since that incident. How long was it already? Two? Three? Maybe four? Iruka has lost count. The teacher walked through Konoha's streets. It was normal. It was a perfectly normal day for him. Everything was… normal. He is used to this. He is used being alone. He has a lot of students. His comrades die in missions. But something clearly feel very different.

The man looked up to the sky and sighed. _What could you possibly be doing now, Naruto?_ Iruka asked. Uzumaki Naruto was no one special, but to him, he is one person who Iruka felt like having a son whenever he was with him. Uzumaki Naruto was another part of his family, after he lost his actual ones. Iruka never had a family of his own, but if one would wonder how it would feels like to own a son, Naruto is a son Iruka never had. He was the one and only family Iruka had before he was gone, again.

 _Does Kami forbade me to have any family?_ Iruka thought to himself. It doesn't really matter, or it should be. But Iruka couldn't help from feeling hurt. There's just this pain in the chest, as he would call it. Iruka only could smile, like what he did before. It was a long time ago. He didn't recall that feeling to be this hurt. Or was it? He has already forgotten.

Iruka entered his favorite ramen shop, opening the curtain and sit down on his usual seat. "One miso ramen," He ordered. Teuchi gave his usual smile, "One miso ramen coming right up!" He replied as he prepared the meal. Iruka looked to his side, just another empty chair. A sad smile formed on his lips. He opened his wallet and checked his money amount. He just gave a small laugh.

Back then, he could run out of money just in a single night.

" _You are going to treat me today, Iruka-sensei?" The blond boy smiled excitedly._

" _Yeah, sure." Iruka smiled. "Because you did good on your last mission, I heard. So, I will treat you to a bowl of-"_

" _Occhan! 6 miso ramen!" Naruto instantly ordered._

" _O-oi! I said one bowl!"_

 _And then the money he just gained on that day gone just like that._

Iruka smiled at the memory. Hey, look at the bright side, he thought. He can save up more money now. It was only a thought he forced to make him feel better. It was a lie if that could lift the pain in his chest just like that.

Iruka was so lost in his thoughts that he was surprised when his order was done already.

"There you go." Teuchi said, giving him the bowl of ramen.

"Thanks." Iruka said. "Itadakimasu," he said. Not that excited that his food was there, but he smiled any way. _He would like him to smile, won't he?_ So he won't let him down. He is a teacher. He was just a teacher. He was no one special. He was not a father. He was not anything to him, just a teacher. But Iruka knew more than anyone that Naruto wouldn't like it if Iruka got drown in sadness.

He stared at the naruto on his ramen before devouring it into his mouth. Sakura is training hard with Tsunade, and go to missions with Kakashi and others. He also heard that she is planning to take on another chuunin exam that will be coming soon.

Teuchi didn't say anything, but he is doing his job just like how he normally does it. He seemed unaffected, but Iruka knew he was just hiding it. After all, the man has lost so many of his favorite customers in missions. Some day, he would talk about it with Teuchi. The day Teuchi heard Naruto was gone, he just stayed quiet for a while. Before smiling, saying that Naruto probably went for a bigger ramen feast in ramen heaven. Iruka smiled back, saying that Naruto would. However, Iruka knew Teuchi was also hiding his sadness.

It was just yet another loss. It was nothing special.

The two never brought up the topic about Naruto anymore.

Outside the ramen shop, the academy teacher could hear noises of three young ninjas- his class' student.

The loud and noisy one, Konohamaru- used to be so close with the very Uzumaki Naruto himself.

Hearing about Naruto's death should give the kid a lot of impact. Especially that Konohamaru was still very young. And none of his generation experienced death around their presence, totally unlike Umino Iruka's generation- a generation where a gigantic beast fox known as the Kyuubi attacked the whole village. Iruka could remember the memory of that day in a blink of an eye.

Yet, Sarutobi Konohamaru was laughing and running around with his friends, Udon and Moegi. With the green goggles placed on their foreheads as the replacement of the hitaite they haven't receive. Just like how Naruto used to be. _The kids are so strong_ , Iruka thought.

Then again, Konohamaru has lost his grandfather during Orochimaru's attack to the village. Naruto would be the second loss Konohamaru personally affected by. But that doesn't escape that finding laugh on his face is not something praise-able for a kid like Konohamaru.

Then again, back there Naruto was like this… Iruka thought. The boy was always alone, hated, and unwanted by the village. Yet he still smiles around with that goofy whiskered face of his, declaring that he would be the Hokage someday over and over. Uzumaki Naruto was strong. Compared to Umino Iruka, the nine-tailed fox vessel was much stronger.

Iruka tidied up his empty bowl once he was done with his meal. "Goshujinsamadeshita," He said. Iruka's belly was now filled. He got up and smiled, only this time with determination.

 _I won't lose too!_

* * *

Killing Itachi was Sasuke's main objective that time. Keeping that in mind, so that he wouldn't waste the power he gained through the sacrifice he had to make. That was the sole and only reason for him to gain that power in first place. Once he was done mastering it, he would kill Itachi for sure. Sasuke thought. Dying is not a choice. This is a mission he must fulfill.

He returned back to the lair quite late. He was exhausted, but that didn't really matter. One night's sleep was enough to refill his energy, Sasuke thought. That was his usual routine here in Orochimaru's hideout. Wake up while sweating a lot, emotional breakdown, refusing and got mad during breakfast, going to train, exhaust himself, returning to hideout, falling into nightmare in his sleep. It was pretty normal as for the late months.

That night was a bit different, as Sasuke thought to ask Orochimaru about something regarding to Itachi. He knew the snake guy used to be a member of Akatsuki, so he might spill out information from Orochimaru and begin to form his assassination plan.

Sasuke was about to knock the door and enter Orochimaru's room, until he accidently overheard the conversation between the snake sannin and his trusted underling. Normally, Sasuke wouldn't care what the two were talking about, however a certain name was mentioned in their conversation and made Sasuke stopped on his track.

Naruto.

 _What the heck could they possibly be thinking about that guy?_

Luckily for Sasuke, the two hasn't noticed his presence. So the Uchiha calmly listened as the conversation go.

"Indeed, it was totally a waste." Orochimaru's voice said. "To think yet another jinchuuriki has passed away. It would be much better if we could get our hands on Kyuubi."

 _Jinchuuriki? Kyuubi?_

"Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto replied. "The Akatsuki are chasing against the Kyuubi as well. This would ruin their plan."

 _The Akatsuki?_

"Indeed," Orochimaru replied. Sasuke could imagine the grin on the snake guy's mouth right about now. "The chakra of the Kyuubi has scattered. If we could collect them before they do, they will be very pissed."

At first, Sasuke thought the only reason for Itachi to be after Naruto was to kill yet another of his loved ones. So it was not that… _What is a Jinchuuriki?_

 _Didn't the fourth kill the Kyuubi?_

"We need to create a new vessel since Naruto is dead." Orochimaru said. "Using humans as tools would cause another failure… living things can die easily, and when they die, the chakras will scatter once again." Orochimaru thought about that.

 _Naruto was the nine-tails' vessel?_

"So,… what do we do about that, Orochimaru-Sama?" Kabuto asked. "Unlike them, we don't have anything to store the chakras in."

 _Store? What is the Akatsuki actually up to?_

"Fufufu…" Orochimaru chuckled. "That's why, Kabuto. We should just create it. We can model it after that huge statue the Akatsuki got. And when the chakras are collected, we can summon Kyuubi by creating another pill that allows one that drinks that thing to be able to summon Kyuubi."

Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise. So the Kyuubi didn't die, and Naruto was originally the Kyuubi's vessel. The Akatsuki was going after the tailed beast and up to something with it… It shouldn't take a genius to figure out how dangerous getting one into possessing such power. Neither Akatsuki and Orochimaru could be trusted. The Kyuubi was not theirs to start with, and if there was someone who deserves Kyuubi's power, that person was none other than Naruto. Sasuke felt he just gained a new determination.

Forget about Itachi, that thing is secondary.

"It's going to be a while to go through that list." Orochimaru said. "Don't ever let Sasuke know about this. He's probably going crybaby all over his dead boyfriend again and then decides to collect Kyuubi for his own."

"Yes, Orochimaru-Sama."

 _Too late._ Sasuke thought. He walked away from that spot. He is going to gather more information from now on. He was thinking to let Orochimaru finish with the new 'vessel' and the pill before anything else. He felt disgusted at how many people wanting to use Kyuubi for their own purpose.

 _Kyuubi belongs to Naruto, and Naruto only._

Sure, he was the one who killed Naruto. The Uchiha still hasn't forgiven himself for killing his best friend over some power. He was no different with these guys- who tried to use Naruto for the power stored inside of him. However, that thing is going to change _now_.

Maybe this way… Naruto would forgive him. Wait, he is always forgiving. Maybe… he could forgive himself.

All the guilt and regret he felt up to this day, maybe this is a way to be saved from his sins. He would protect the power Naruto has- once had, from the likes of them.

Sasuke had decided.

As he walked into the dark hall and his room, Uchiha Sasuke opened a new page in his mind to draw a whole new plan right from the scratch.

 _This is his road of redemption._

 **.**

 **.**

 **If that's the only way I could be saved from my sins,**

 **I would draw out my sword and walk on the same path as you did.**

 _..._

 _[ **redemption**_

 _re·demp·tion_

 _rəˈdem(p)SH(ə)n/_

 _1\. the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil._

 _2\. the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, or clearing a debt_ _.]_

 _Woah, it was really surprising at how long it took me to finish this chapter._

 _Finally things are going to be more interesting 83 Actually, me myself would say that things are getting interesting when we reaches the parallel of Shippuden arcs… Which I could say, is in more or less two more chapters. We will start on Gaara retrieval arc once the first part is done. Hopefully I have the patience to finish the entire thing up until the end =v=_

 _I also have an idea of some bonus, special episodes using the world setting of SD(Super Deform) with Rock Lee as the main character. It could be some special episodes, or sitting on different story. But seeing I would probably run out of ideas if I make Redemption SD: Rock Lee no Seishun a whole fic series, most likely I gonna put the Redemption SD special in some chapters whenever I finish some certain arcs or number of chapters. So, yeah… expect the fillers! xDDDD_

 _I am pretty surprised at the amount of follow this fanfic receives. I am sorry if this fic is not updated as daily as you thought, or up to your expectations: after all, I just wishes to let things out that are stuck in my head for quite a while XD_

 _I wonder if I make things sounds too much like a stupid sappy soap opera. I hoped I am not making it too much like that. Any way, I am happy you stayed to read my shitty author comments. I appreciate you to stay up till the end._

 _So, then. Until next time._

 _~Pii_


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